June 24, 2016 Lunch PPI Vietnamese Noodles. Dinner Joseph’s Table

June 24, 2016 Lunch  PPI Vietnamese Noodles.  Dinner  Joseph’s Table

Always looking to balance the perfect food for my body with the new and the interesting.

I started with my favorite breakfast; granola with Fage Greek Yogurt, fresh blueberries, and a splash of milk.

I fully intended to make a Miso Noodle soup for lunch, but I opted for the PPI Vietnamese rice noodles, lettuce, and mung bean sprouts from yesterday’s lunch at Vietnam 2000.  The noodles tend to get soggy tasting after sitting for a day in the sweetened fish sauce they are served with,but today they still tasted surprisingly fresh.  The grilled pork was fine also, but the fried egg rolls were inedible, soggy and falling apart.  I actually enjoyed the noodle with the still fresh and crisp bean sprouts.

Suzette arrived around 2:30 and we left for Santa Fe at 3:00.

We first went to Stephen’s Consignment and found a nice Mid-century wrought iron floor lamp for Willy’s apartment and two inter-locking drop leaf tables.

At a bit after 5:00 we drove to Nedra Matteucci’s, which was having an opening, to pick up Jessie’s Fremont Ellis.  I had never been to an opening at Matteucci’s before and was amazed by two things.  First, the size and beauty of the gardens behind the gallery.  The garden must be the most beautiful in Santa Fe and even more so because it sits at the corner of two busy streets: Paseo de Peralta and Acequia Madre.  We said hello to Ann Brown, who invited us to go outside and get a beer.  When we went out to the garden we found lots of folks and two open bars.  This was a peek into old Santa Fe of the 70’s and 80’s, to the extent it still exists.  The trust fund children enjoying the good life in Santa Fe.  Suzette ordered a hand shaken margarita and I ordered a gin and tonic with a slice of lime and we soon began to feel as though we fit in a bit.  After we drank our drinks and looked at the Art we put Jessie’s Fremont Ellis into the car with the assistance of Victoria and drove to Andrew Smith’s Gallery parking lot beside the Georgia O’Keefe Museum at the corner of Grant and Johnson and walked the long block to 128 Palace where Jane Phillip’s 20 photographer group show was being held.  It was upstairs give a gallery in an un air conditioned room filled with two photos by each photographer.  We quickly looked at the photos and left to meet Max at the Palace Restaurant bar, which has been renovated back to its original décor after the prior ranch house theme. 

It was 6:51 and still happy hour, so Suzette and I each ordered a Sauzo Silver margarita for $8.00 and a wedge of iceburg lettuce salad with a three bean salad garnish (garbanzo, string, and red kidney beans) with a tangy Italian vinaigrette for $5.00.  We enjoyed both and met Lydia and Karen, who were with Max.  Lydia is a business partner of Max and thus Oneida my clients and Karen lives in next to Max and Jane in the same condo development.  

We talked and drank until 8:00 when Jane’s opening ended and she joined us.  We discussed dinner and I suggested Joseph’s Table, which met with approval by all.

So Suzette called and made a reservation for 8:15 and we re-grouped at Joseph’s Table at a table next the front door.  The wine prices were outrageous, so we all decided to drink beer or pear cider.  Suzette and Lydia ordered Cassoulet served with a tomatillo sauce,  I ordered duck served with a sweet glaze, a ramekin of a fresh red grape in Crème fraiche cold salad.  The 1/2 duck confit was laid on a bed of Sautéed red cabbage that was seasoned with red chile powder that gave it a really zippy flavor (joseph’s indulgence to Southwestern cuisine that I really liked after I got used to the concept of spicy cabbage.  I was able to make well balanced flavorful bites by combining duck meat with cabbage and dipping them into the glaze sauce.  If that still left as icy taste in my mouth I would take a small bite of the fresh grape crème fraiche salad.  Before I ordered I noticed that the three people at the next table were all eating the duck entrée, so I asked them if they liked it.  The man of the group named Dan told me to order the duck with the glaze on the side, so I did and was happy I did because the duck had been sauteed under a weight that crisped the skin and the glaze would have interfered with the skin’s crispness.  Dan also recommended the duck at Ma Mamou on Palace across the street.  It turned out that An and his wife were just as enamored with roasted duck as I am.  They mentioned the duck at Torino’s @ home as their favorite duck stop in Albuquerque.  If they read this, I wish to let them know that East Ocean at 3601 Carlisle also serves a killer roasted duck.

Karen and Jane ordered the Grilled Swordfish special with a tomato cream sauce and a crème fraiche sauce.  I liked the thickened tomato cream sauce, another thing I have not ever eaten.Max ordered Free range chicken.  I also tasted Suzette’s Cassoulet and loved its rich meat and herb flavors.

Everyone was ordering the Italian Cloud Cake, so I requested our waiter to save one for us.

Hot rolls fresh from the oven were brought that were so delicious that I ordered another basket of them.

After we had finished our entrees, the waiter brought the Cloud a Cake and it elicited its usual impressive reaction, a six or seven inch high wedge of baked sweetened egg whites that was as light as a feather surrounded by puddles of caramel sauce, crème Anglais, and grapefruit and orange slices.  The ultimate dessert.

If you want to eat at the front of the wave, I suggest Joseph’s Table.  I have been enjoying his cooking since he and his ex moved back from the south of France to open their little restaurant in the old house in Ranchos de Taos years ago and can only remember memorable meals.

We said goodnight at 10:00 after a lovely two hour two course dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Fe.  

Bon Appetit